


Stardrop

by queenofhyrule



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Consensual Sex, F/M, Physical Abuse, Romance, Romantic Relationship, Slow Burn, Verbal Abuse, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 11:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17527577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofhyrule/pseuds/queenofhyrule
Summary: Annie has had enough of her life in the city. She's had enough of being scared and of being hurt. Stardew Valley offers her the fresh start she desperately wants, and she jumps at the opportunity to leave her life behind and try again. Yet healing isn't as easy as she thought it would be, and maybe everyone isn't as nice as they seem. But one quiet resident of Pelican Town catches her eye from the start, and maybe he is exactly what she needs.





	Stardrop

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if there are any formatting issues, this is my first post to AO3! I'm still learning the ropes so please let me know if there are any errors.

The old bus lurched to a stop, causing the only rider in it to jolt awake. The young woman, temporarily confused and alarmed, jumped up quickly. After a few seconds of staring at her surroundings, her head cleared and she remembered where she was. Instinctively, she reached down and pulled a phone out of her pocket, pressing on the home button to check the time. Nothing happened, and all she was met with was the black glass that she could almost make out her reflection in. She sighed and put the phone back into her pocket.  
“Alright kiddo, here we are. Pelican Town.” The older blonde woman – Pam, was it? – stood up from her seat and stretched her arms above her head. “Unfortunately this is as close as I can getcha, but the farm shouldn’t be too much further down that path over there.” 

Annie’s gaze followed the woman’s finger and she saw a worn dirt path leading into a small cluster of trees before it disappeared. She simply nodded and grabbed her small duffel, the only thing that she had with her, and followed the older woman off the bus. With a small smile Annie thanked the woman and turned to the direction of the path and started off towards her new home. 

Home. 

It was a strange word to her, and thinking about what could await her beyond those trees made her stomach lurch. It had been a long time since anything felt like home to her, and she had a hard time believing that a small farm in the middle of nowhere would change that for her. 

Well, she thought, it can’t possibly be any worse than what it was before. And that was the truth. Annie had hit rock bottom, and if she managed to dig even deeper into that hole then she would be convinced that she was just doomed to live her life miserable. 

The small cluster of trees gave way to a small plot of land that was, surprise, surrounded by even more trees. But in the small clearing sat a tiny brown cabin that looked like it had certainly seen better days. And outside of the cabin stood a man and a woman, who looked like they were having an argument of some sort. 

“Uh, hello!” Annie called, hopefully loud enough to get their attention. It seemed to work, and the man and woman jumped in surprise and turned to face her. The man looked older, or perhaps it was just his grey mustache and choice of clothing that made him look old. The woman was definitely much younger than him, but still older than Annie, and had bright red hair and a friendly smile. 

“Ah, you must be our new farmer! We’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival. I’m glad to see that you made it to the valley in one piece,” the older man said, walking up to her. He stuck out his hand, which Annie timidly took. “My name is Lewis, and I’m the mayor of Pelican Town.” 

Before Annie could say hi, the woman jumped in and stole her hand from him. “And more importantly, I’m Robin! I’m the carpenter around here and I have a good feeling that you and I will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming months,” she grinned, nodding her head towards the shabby looking cabin. Annie laughed, sounding more nervous than amused, as she eyed the building. 

“I guess it’s been awhile since anyone has tended to it. It’s going to be a little more work than I anticipated, but I’m hoping I can make it work.” 

Robin’s smile widened. “Well, I have plenty of ideas that I’d love to share with you if you’re ever interested! We could-“ 

“I would be careful about listening to everything she says, Annie,” Lewis interrupted with a chuckle. “She’ll tell you anything to convince her that you need her services!”

“I’m just saying!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands up as if to surrender. “I have lots of good ideas and I’m sure our new resident here won’t want to be living in the Dark Ages forever.” 

Annie laughed, starting to relax. “I’m sure you’re right, Robin. But before I can start thinking about house upgrades, I need to make sure I can actually pull off this whole ‘farming’ thing. Hopefully Gramps passed down more than just his hard-headedness and bad allergies.” 

Mayor Lewis put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Annie immediately froze, and for a minute the only thing she was able to think about was the feeling of the hand on her. But he quickly removed it, and Annie was able to let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. 

“I have no doubt that your farm will be a success. We are all here to support you, and if there’s anything we can help with then you shouldn’t hesitate to ask.” He gave her a warm, reassuring smile that she tried to return. 

“Well! I’m sure you’d like to be left alone to unpack and get settled and whatnot. Don’t be shy though, alright? Everyone here is excited to have a new face so once you’re all settled in, go make some rounds and try to introduce yourself!” 

Annie nodded at the mayor, trying to seem excited about the idea of meeting new people. Truthfully, she was just exhausted and if she went another month without seeing a new face, she’d probably be okay with it. 

“And my house isn’t too far from here,” Robin said, pointing over to the mountains that were close in the distance. “There’s a path over there, just behind your cabin, that’ll take you up to the mountains and my house is around there. Please feel free to stop by anytime, whether it’s for a new project or if you just want to say hi. I have two kids around your age, and I’d love for them to get out of the house more and make a new friend” 

Annie’s ears perked up a bit at the mention of that. People in their early 20s? Here? In this small town? She tried not to seem too surprised, but she had figured that everyone her age would have gotten out by now. Then again, she was here, wasn’t she? 

“We’ll get out of your hair now, Farmer Ashley. Best of luck!” Mayor Lewis waved, then turned and started walking down the path. Robin gave her one last smile then turned to follow. 

“Thank you both so much!” Annie shouted, hoping her delayed response wouldn’t be seen as rude. Neither of them seemed to acknowledge her as they disappeared behind the trees. Annie sighed, then turned back to her new home.

“Well,” she muttered to herself. “I guess it could be worse.” 

She headed over to the cabin, taking in the surrounding land. It was completely overgrown, with weeds and rocks dominating the space. It was definitely going to be more work that she originally anticipated, but that was good. She wanted the distraction. 

The door opened with a loud creak, and she stepped into the single room that made up the entire cabin. There was a small bathroom that, by some magic, fit both a toilet and a shower but other than that, the cabin was just one large room. There was a twin sized bed and tiny bedside table stashed in one corner, an old, snot green moth-eaten couch that sat in front of a television older than Annie in the middle of the room, and in another corner there was a small table with two chairs. There wasn’t a kitchen but sitting on the table was an old microwave and a single hotplate, and next to the table was a small mini-fridge. Walking over to investigate, Annie noticed a folded up piece of paper propped up against the microwave. Looking closer, she saw her name written on the front in neat handwriting. 

The house upgrade comes with a kitchen ;) But here are a few things to hold you over until then.  
-Robin 

Annie smiled to herself as she put the note down. She was genuinely touched by Robin’s kindness, and she made a mental note to visit soon and thank her in person. She only hoped that everyone else in Pelican Town was a kind as Robin seemed to be. 

It only took about 20 minutes for Annie to get settled in, since she only brought the absolute essentials with her. She had packed secretly and quickly, and if she had tried to take too much then she would have caused suspicion. She had told him that she was getting clothes together to donate after work. Surprisingly, he believed her. He had kissed the top of her head and told her what a great idea that was. He oversaw the whole packing process of course, making note of every single thing she put in the duffel bag, but he didn’t stop her when she walked out of the apartment. 

It had been terrifying. Annie had been so sure that he knew her true intentions. She usually had trouble hiding her emotions, and he often knew what she was thinking before she even did. But she had managed to smile and lie her way right out of the door that morning. This morning. Annie glanced down at her watch – the cheap one she bought from the dollar store right after leaving her apartment – and her heart jumped a bit when she saw the time. It was 3 o’clock, which meant that it had been 7 hours since she left her apartment, and there was only one hour left until he would be expecting her home. But she wouldn’t be coming home. 

Nervous sweat broke out on her forehead as she thought about the possibility that he may already know. Maybe he knew all along and just wanted to see if she would actually follow through with it. Surely he thought she would be too weak to actually leave. What if he had followed her? What if he was there right now, outside of her cabin?

Suddenly, Annie found it very hard to breath. Her heart was beating so fast that she was sure it was going to burst out of her chest, and her head began to spin. He was out there right now, waiting. He followed her, and he knew. He was going to find her and - 

“No,” she said out loud. “No. I am alone. I am safe. Everything is okay.” She focused on keeping her voice strong and steady, and shutting out the thoughts that were intruding. She repeated the words again. And again. And again until her heart slowed and she was able to take a deep, calming breath. She was overthinking and being irrational, and she knew it. 

Once again, she pulled the phone out of her pocket and stared at the reflection that looked at her through the black screen. As long as this phone stayed off, she would be safe. She had never once mentioned Stardew Valley or Pelican Town to him. It was impossible for him to know where she had gone. Hell, she had hardly been able to find out where to go herself. It had taken an absurd amount of time surfing the internet at the public library to find out how to get to the tiny town, and an even longer amount of time finding a bus to take her there. 

The bedside table had a single drawer, which Annie opened and shoved the phone inside of. She slammed it shut again, feeling a wave of relief to have that stupid piece of technology off of her. It would stay in there, turned off, and she would be safe. He’d never know where to find her. But despite that rational knowledge, she couldn’t help the tears from welling up and spilling over, rolling slowly down her cheeks. 

She finally was away, free like she’d dreamed of for the past year. So why did she feel so terrible about it? She thought she’d be jumping up and down with joy, but instead she wanted to curl into a ball so small she’d vanish into thin air. There was no happiness in her heart. Only emptiness. 

Laying down on her bed, she squeezed her eyes shut as tight as she could and curled up as small as she could, trying to push out all of the bad thoughts. She forced her mind to empty, and focused on keeping it as clear as possible. Eventually, the mental and physical exhaustion became too much, and Annie was able to drift off to sleep.  
_______________________________________________________________________________  
Annie woke with a start, a feeling of absolute dread in her stomach. It took her a moment to remember where she was, and that she was not in any immediate danger. Feeling slightly disoriented, Annie sat up and glanced down at the watch on her wrist. 

“Oh shit!” She exclaimed, launching herself out of bed. “How the fuck did I manage to sleep so long?” 

Somehow, she had managed to sleep not only through the night, but well into the next day. It was almost noon, and she had a very long list of things she wanted to get done. For starters, she needed to go into town and get some seeds so she could actually get the farm going. She wasn’t able to bring a whole lot of money, so the sooner she was able to start bringing in an income the better. 

She scrambled around the cabin as quickly as she could, pulling on a clean pair of dark jeans, an oversized gray t-shirt and her white athletic shoes. Her stomach growled and Annie couldn’t remember the last time she ate anything. It didn’t matter though, because she didn’t have any food anyways. She added that to her mental list of things she needed to buy as she threw her long brown hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head and rushed out the door.

The walk into town wasn’t long, and the cool spring air felt good against her flushed skin. By the time she got to the store next to the clinic, she had managed to stop sweating so profusely. 

“Pierre’s General Store,” she read the sign hanging above the door out loud. “Closed on Wednesdays. Hmm. Okay, I’ll need to write that down or something because I’m definitely going to forget.” 

She opened to door to the general store and stepped inside. A bell twinkled overhead, and the man standing at the counter turned around to greet the new customer. He seemed friendly enough, but she couldn’t help but feel a little judged by the way he looked at her over his glasses.  
“Hello! You must be the new farmer that Mayor Lewis was talking about. I’m Pierre, and this is my store,” he beamed. “We’ve got everything you could ever need right here! Best prices in Pelican Town, too.” Annie nodded slowly, looking around at all of the goods. There certainly was a lot, but she wasn’t sure that everything she could ever need would be found in this tiny store. It seemed to sell food and gardening supplies, and that was it. Nothing else. 

“Yes, hello,” she smiled as she walked up to the counter. “My name is Annie, and I hope Mayor Lewis was saying good things.” Pierre stuck his hand out causing her to hesitate, but she slowly grasped his hand and gave it a weak shake. 

“Ah, nothing but positives Farmer. He was saying that you sure must be a brave girl to take on that old farm. Well, either brave or crazy,” Pierre said with a wink. Annie grinned and shrugged her shoulders. 

“I probably am a little crazy, if we’re being honest. Working in the city for too long does that to a person. I could end up being the worst farmer in the whole world and I’d still probably enjoy it more than being stuck in Zuzu.” 

Pierre’s eyes widened slightly. “That bad, huh?” 

Again, Annie shrugged. “Depends on who you ask. Some love it but… it was never really for me. Anyways, I was hoping I’d be able to buy some seeds so I can get my farm going. You got anything for me?” 

Pierre’s face lit up and he quickly walked out from behind the counter and over to a row of shelves along the wall. “Let’s see.. I’ve got parsnips, cauliflower, potatoes…” and continued on, listing various seeds that he had to sell. Annie quickly became overwhelmed as she hadn’t really thought about all of the options that she would have. 

“Uh.. what’s the best crop you’d recommend for beginners?” She asked, cringing a little on the inside. Pierre had to think she was the biggest idiot to ever exist. What farmer doesn’t even know what to plant?

“Hm, I think I’d recommend the parsnips to start. They’re very simple and they grow quickly. If you manage to mess these up then I’d recommend you either find a new way to make money or call up your old job,” Pierre joked, holding out a few packets of seeds for her to take. Annie laughed and took them. 

“Alright then, I guess I’ll start with these and hope for the best. Thank you so much,” she said, giving him a grateful smile. Pierre waved his hand, implying that it was no trouble at all.

“Anything else I can help you with?” He asked. Annie thought about it for a second, then nodded. 

“Yeah, actually!” She exclaimed, then went on to list off everything she was looking for.

Twenty minutes and too many gold coins later, Annie exited Pierre’s with a big smile and very full arms. It was a funny sight, seeing such a small girl balance so many bags in her arms, but she was managing somehow. That is, until she ran smack into something tall and hard. 

A tree? 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” 

Nope. A person. 

Annie’s perfectly balanced bags went flying everywhere, and she could only watch in horror as they hit the dirt beneath her and spilled their contents everywhere. Her heart dropped and she instinctively cringed, preparing to get yelled at. 

“Really, I am so sorry! Here, let me help you,” the voice exclaimed, truly sounding remorseful. Annie looked up to tell them that it was okay - that it was her fault - and she was met with very big, very apologetic looking blue eyes. The guy standing in front her couldn’t have been much older than she was, and his blonde hair stuck up in so many different ways that it was impossible to tell if he was just that frazzled or if it was his normal look. 

She blushed instantly, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. She dropped down to her knees, blinking back the tears that were welling up in her eyes. “It’s my fault, I should have been watching where I was going,” she said quietly as she began to pick up the spilled items and shove them into the bags. 

“No, I was on my phone. This is definitely my fault,” he argued, dropping down next to her. Annie refused to look at him as he helped her pick up the items. She expected his voice to raise in anger any second now. But it never did, and when all of the items were neatly packed back into the bags, he stood up and offered a hand to Annie. Timidly, she took it and he pulled her back up to her feet. 

“Hey, you’re the new girl. The farmer. I’m Sam,” the guy said, flashing her a dazzling smile. Annie still felt extremely nervous, and she knew that her smile didn’t look as genuine as his. 

“Annie. Thank you for helping me, and again I’m so sorry about that. I need to pay more attention to my surroundings.” She looked down at the ground, once again refusing to meet his eyes. 

Sam scoffed. “Pay attention to your surroundings? There are so many bags here I’m surprised you were even able to fit out the door of Pierre’s. I doubt you were even able to see over the mountain of groceries!” He leaned down and grabbed as many bags as he could manage to carry in both hands. “Well Annie, it’s nice to meet you. Lead the way!”

Annie looked up at him with surprise, eyes widening. “Oh no, really you don’t have to-“ 

“Oh come on. It’s the least I can do. I insist, actually. So either you let me help you, or I run off with all of your groceries and you have to walk back alone. Which is sad, because I really am good company,” he grinned. 

“I really don’t want to bother you,” Annie started. But before she could make any more excuses, Sam shrugged and started walking off in the direction of her house. 

“Alright then!” He called over his shoulder. “Have it your way. I’ll meet you there!” 

Annie couldn’t believe that he was so willing to help her. If she had done something as stupid as dropping the groceries back in the city… she shivered at the thought, but shook her head to clear it away. She wasn’t in the city anymore. And not all guys were like him. 

She gathered the rest of the bags in her hand and ran off down the road after Sam, who had actually gotten a good distance ahead. 

“T-thank you,” she huffed, very out of breath, once she caught up with Sam. He glanced over at her, clearly amused. 

“Already out of breath? Ya know, I’m no expert but I think farming is a pretty physical activity. You sure you’re up for the challenge?” He joked. This time, Annie gave him a genuine grin. 

“No, probably not. But here I am! I guess it beats paying for a gym membership. And as a bonus I don’t have to deal with creepy guys watching me out as I workout.” 

Sam laughed. “So you moved all the way to the Valley just to avoid paying for a gym? Sounds pretty extreme if you ask me.” 

Annie shrugged, smile growing. “What can I say, I’m pretty dramatic.” 

“I’d say. If I was sure that all girls would look at me the way you did when I picked up your groceries for you, I’d start body-checking every cute girl I saw.”

Annie’s face turned bright red, but she tried her best to ignore it. “I accept the compliment, but I really have to warn you that I don’t think assaulting girls is the best way to pick them up.” It probably came out more bitter and dry than she meant, given the strange look Sam gave her. He looked conflicted, like he wanted to say something but knew he shouldn’t. So instead he just nodded his head. 

“Alright farmer. Noted. So what brings you here? You know, aside from the free workout.” He said with a wink. 

Annie shrugged, hoisting a bag further up her arm to hopefully get some of the circulation moving again. “Soul-sucking job. Less than ideal living situation. You know, the usual.” She laughed dryly. Sam gave her another questioning look, and she tried to play it off. “Really, I just wanted a change of pace. The farm used to be my grandfather’s and recently I stumbled across an envelope with a key to the cabin. Decided I had nothing else to lose and the rest is history.” 

“Interesting,” he mused. Annie looked at him, eyebrow arched. 

“What’s so interesting about it?”

Sam shrugged. “Just that you’d rather come to the middle of nowhere for a change of pace than stay in the city. Seems a little backwards if you ask me.” 

“Yeah well,” Annie sighed, “The city isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.” That time she definitely sounded bitter. 

“You should talk to my best friend. He is dead set on leaving this town and moving to the city. It’s pretty much his biggest dream in life.” 

“No offense, but your friend sounds like an idiot.” 

Sam gave a hearty laugh at that one. “Don’t worry, no offense taken.” 

The two approached the cabin, and Annie thought about how much faster the walk seemed to go this time. She hated to admit it, but Sam had been right when he said that he was good company. The two walked up the stairs and stopped at the front door. 

“This is…. cute,” Sam said, though it came out more like a question than a statement. Annie nodded slowly, looking around at the old building. 

“Yeah.. that’s one way to put it. But hey!” She exclaimed, setting the groceries down. “It’ mine. And it’s home.” 

Sam set his bags down as well and smiled at the farmer. “Well I for one am glad to have a new face in town. Growing up with the same friends can get really boring sometimes. Or a lot of the time. Or all of the time. You get the point.” 

Annie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Who said we were going to be friends?” 

Sam gasped and put his hand to his heart, pretending to be hurt. Annie giggled and shook her head at his silliness. Sam dropped his hand and replaced his feigned hurt with a look of determination. 

“Well, I’m not going to give you a choice, really. I’ve waited too damn long to have a new friend so you’re going to hang out with me whether you like it or not.” 

Annie knew that he was joking, but something about the demanding way that he said it made her heart stop momentarily. Her arms still crossed, she tightened her grip on her arms until she could feel her fingernails digging into the skin. Sam seemed to noticed the change in her demeanor. 

“I mean, you have a choice, sorry I didn’t mean to sound so pushy! I just would really like to be friends, if that’s okay with you?” He asked gently, giving her a hopeful smile. 

Annie’s heart slowed a bit and she was able to release her arms from the death grip she had them in. Like before, she knew that she was being irrational but her body just couldn’t shake the flight or fight response that she had become so used to using, so used to relying on. 

The terror in her eyes faded away for the most part as she gave Sam a small smile and nod. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I would like that.” 

A look of relief washed over him and a dumb grin spread on his lips. “Awesome. I’m basically the only friend you’ll need anyways, since I’m totally the coolest person in town. Stick with me, and you’ll be alright, kid.” 

Annie rolled her eyes but couldn’t bite back the smile. “Yeah, okay. Whatever you say Sam.” Truthfully, she was glad to have made a friend. And she hoped that with time, her mind and body would allow her to relax. “Okay, well, I have a lot of stuff I gotta get done today. So unless you wanna put on some gardening gloves and help out, we’ll have to hang out another time.” 

Sam’s eyes widened and he turned to look at all of the weeds and rocks scattered around the farm. Annie could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he put together how much physical labor it would take to clear a plot big enough to plant in. He turned back to Annie with a sheepish grin.

“Ya know… I’d love to stay, but I.. I gotta go clean my room or something! I’ll see ya around farmer!” And with a small wave he turned around and sped off, clearly not wanting to risk being put to work by Annie. 

“Yeah, I’ll see ya around Sam,” she laughed to herself. 

In better spirits than she was this morning, Annie scooped up as many bags as she could carry and stepped inside of her home. She grabbed a quick field snack from her new stash before grabbing the packets of parsnip seeds and heading back outside. 

It was time to get to business.


End file.
